E9X Are they decent to own and maintain

[nando]

Yes e92 come in 328i and 328xi and yes they come in manual but are pretty tough to find. From what I've noticed the 06 models are a little more problematic then 07+ just because it was the first year of production. Expect to have the waterpump replaced on higher mileage e9x's as they are electric and tend to fail. Non turbo e9x's are pretty reliable but the turbo 335 can get expensive to maintain out of warranty. I would join a forum like e90post and do some research to figure out which model is right for you.

that's interesting because the BMW shop here says the 06 seems to have fewer issues than the later ones.

who knows. I'm about to find out. I might have two of them tomorrow.

[Wh33lhop]

Are all E92's except M3 335i's? I have not seen any 328i coupes

Do 328i Manuals exist have not seen any ?

Any special Issues with the 06' only 330i?

No, yes, and not that don't exist on the 325/328.

edit: beat me to it

[CW325]

Are all E92's except M3 335i's? I have not seen any 328i coupes

Do 328i Manuals exist have not seen any ?

Any special Issues with the 06' only 330i?

Yes e92 come in 328i and 328xi and yes they come in manual but are pretty tough to find. From what I've noticed the 06 models are a little more problematic then 07+ just because it was the first year of production. Expect to have the waterpump replaced on higher mileage e9x's as they are electric and tend to fail. Non turbo e9x's are pretty reliable but the turbo 335 can get expensive to maintain out of warranty. I would join a forum like e90post and do some research to figure out which model is right for you.

[adjmcloon]

Absolutely LOVED my 2006 330i (e90). Man what a great car

[Kevinl]

Are all E92's except M3 335i's? I have not seen any 328i coupes

Do 328i Manuals exist have not seen any ?

Any special Issues with the 06' only 330i?

[Mwishlist]

I love mine. I bought a 2008 328i a several years ago with 32K on the odometer, I have about 78K on it now, and it has been super solid. It's the reason I bought an E30. I wanted the 335i like everyone on the forums it seems, but the HPFP failures, additional cost and the fact that all the ones I looked at had locally been wrecked at one point pushed me towards settling on a 328i.

I bought it with one year left on the warranty and had an indie shop go through it before it ran out. They told me the tensioner pulley goes bad on all these and mine was starting to pull away from the engine a bit. Had the dealer fix it for free along with my front brakes and windshield wipers. Other than that the trunk support struts need replacing $38 and the windshield wiper pump just gave out $28. I did the rear brakes recently and that will set you back about $300 if you use BMW parts, which I did.

The other main weak point on these engines are the water pump/thermostat. They start to fail around 65k - 120k miles and have to be replaced. Not a big job but a PITA and the parts are around $450 I think. But they all go and when they do you have to be careful, if you overheat these engines you are screwed.

Most everyone hates the runflats, although they make the car feel like its on rails because the sidewalls are so stiff AND they let me drive home after putting a freaking 3 inch long bolt through the tire with my 3 year old in the car - in the rain at night. So although I probably won't replace them with runflats, they aren't that bad in reality.

The turbos cars are easy and inexpensive to get big HP gains but the NA 328i is pretty much topped out, unless you drop a big amount of cash for very little gain. I did buy a tune when they were on special which doesn't give you much (read=any) more HP or torque but remaps the throttle so the drive by wire lag is gone and makes the car feel much more responsive.

I look at is as the ultimate compromise car; four door is great for the family, but it's still a small car, feels sporty but it’s not a sports car, handles great but it doesn't jar your teeth out, all the modern conveniences you need without too much crazy tech, feels a little heavy because it is and because it's still a family sedan not a Miata.

If you work on cars yourself, I wouldn't hesitate. If you don't do your own work, the dealer charges like $875 for a brake job so maintenance will be super expensive. You should also go over to the e90post forum and check out the threads on there, tons of good info on the platform.

[cabin]

IMO avoid the turbo unless you want to fix it all the time.

Speaking from experience? No issues with my 09 335i and im at 67k. It has been a great car for me so far. Only expenses have been typical maintenance items.

[shameson]

Oh gawd so much want

Right after he bought it he allowed me to take it for a spin in snow. Even with summer tires....oh lawd it was fun



My touring needs AWD damnit

[nando]

IMO avoid the turbo unless you want to fix it all the time.

[glucklich21]

I've had an E90 for almost 5 years now. While it's fun (mine's a 6 speed), maintenance costs are starting to become a factor. Last month was about 3K which included new brakes, front thrust bushings, charge pipe (old one exploded), rear wheel bearing, new tires, and all the drivetrain fluids changed. Now I could have broken up some of those costs over a few months, but they all needed fixing, especially the charge pipe (I was able to limp it home).

All of that isn't why I'm selling mine soon, it's the gas mileage. My car has the N54 which other than recalls and the charge pipe has been fine (I'm at 79K). It likes to eat oil, but that's just the nature of the beast. However the mileage is atrocious in it. Even if you keep your foot out of it I've never seen anything higher than 22 mpg. The car is rated at 26 and 17 in the city. The gears are so long that you either have to keep it in a lower gear or go to a higher gear and let the boost do the work around town. Kills the mileage either way. I would say it's better suited for the highway, but the mileage just isn't there above 70.

If I was to do it again I would get the 335d. My dad had one for a few years and that thing had 90% of the performance of my car, but still got high 30s on the highway. I even averaged 28 mpg hauling this thing home at 85 down a toll way:

[Jon325i]

Will I regret it if I buy one

Perhaps a turbo model. Check out E90 forums and search for topics re: HPFP (high pressure fuel pump). Some nightmare owner experiences out there. BMW made revisions to this part, not sure they entirely solved the problem. The turbo motors will require more frequent maintenance too due to their high performance specification. If you're looking for something as a DD that won't require a lot of attention, this may not be the ideal car for you.

are the NA models semi reliable?

Considerably. Of course, any NA E9x can be a problem child if the previous owners ran it hard, didn't maintain it properly, etc. Generally speaking, they are much more dependable. I have 2 family members who own 2006 model E90 sedans, both have been very dependable cars. They purchased them as used cars from Craigslist a few years ago without any sort of warranty. Just normal maintenance stuff is all they've had to address during their ownership.


Jon

[haggardfab]

they are really nice cars, my buddy has a low mileage 09 335i that i've driven.. I forsee them being a big pain in the ass down the road tho, they have a ton of stupid little problems, especially the direct injection turbo ones.. having to get the cylinder head walnut blasted every 30k miles doesn't sound like something id wanna deal with or worse yet buying a car that the previous owner didn't stay up to date on..

[Nesset]

I got the chance to drive a E9x M3 sedan comp package car at a few car control clinics. I loved it. But then again that was the first "fast car" I ever drove.... Drive one!

[JinormusJ]

'06 E91 325xi touring

Oh gawd so much want

[Todd Black 88]

Have a 2012.
Just had a bit of warranty work done last Saturday, and more coming.

So far,

Both bottom seat cushion covers have been replaced due to cracks in vinyl. Drivers side twice.

Steering rack, steering colom, steering knuckle, passenger window regulator,sunroof rail,door seal that split. And more.

I think my e46 was better built, but at least the axle boots have not split..........yet.